Route Two
Corbiere Lighthouse to Jersey Wetlands Centre
Distance = 5.6 km / 3.5 miles
Approx time = 21 minutes
Terrain = Rising to 112ft then dropping down to 13ft above sea level
Directions
Carry on to La Route de Petit Port. Go back onto La Route De Sud. Turn left onto Mont de La Pulente. Carry on to La Mielle Road. You will go past Le Braye, Rocco’s Tower, El Tico, La Mielle golf course, The Watersplash and Rocco’s Activity Centre. Finally you will be at the Wetland Centre to finish the second stage.
History
In the Neolithic age, St Ouen’s Bay was a forest, covered in trees such as elder and hazel. Evidence of cattle grazing has been found as well as Neolithic Megalithic monuments, such as the Ossuary and Menhirs opposite Le Braye Cafe on the sand dunes. Around 3000 years ago, the climate changed and the forest was covered by a huge sand bank with the sea levels rising giving us the beach that we have today.
During the First World War, at Les Blanches Banques there was a Prisoner of War camp for German prisoners which housed around 2000 men.
During the Second World War and the Occupation of Jersey, the Germans built a huge concrete sea wall and other fortifications along St Ouen’s Bay, including Radio Towers, observation bunkers and gun emplacements. Most of the fortifications were built with labour from Organisation Todt, which was made oup of enforced workers from Europe. There were thousands of workers brought to Jersey and some were housed at Les Blanches Banques. They were treated very badly and lots of the workers died.
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